Terrapin Puppet Theatre announces projects in Denmark and The Netherlands

Tasmania’s Terrapin Puppet Theatre will undertake two engagements in Europe in the second half of 2015.

Having recently completed a successful tour of North America, Terrapin is about to take its work to Denmark and The Netherlands.

Next month, Artistic Director Sam Routledge will travel to Aarhus in Denmark, where he will work with renowned children’s theatre company Teatret Gruppe 38 to develop a new co-production between the two companies, along with a third collaborator, Trickster-p, from Switzerland. Aarhus is the European Capital of Culture in 2017, and the co-production is slated to appear as part of the cultural program, featuring Tasmanian performing artists in several roles. Plans to bring the work to Tasmania and mainland Australia in 2018 are underway. Denmark and Tasmania share a fond association through Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark haling from the island state.

In October, I Think I Can will have its European premiere at Festival De Betovering in The Hague. De Betovering is one of Europe’s premier festivals for young people, and Terrapin will be the first Australian company invited to perform at it. I Think I Can is an interactive installation that invites the public to engage and play by becoming temporary residents via a tiny puppet. Through puppetry, live video, and active audience interaction, this innovative public artwork engages participants in an optimistic task of collective storytelling that deals with dynamic notions of residency and responsibility. I Think I Can was most recently seen in Tasmania as part of the Tasmanian International Arts Festival.

“Terrapin has undertaken 12 international tours” said Sam. “In the past five years in particular, Terrapin has been working internationally in North America and Asia, and we are delighted to now extend the company’s work into Europe, where we aim to build a regular profile and showcase the best of Tasmanian arts and artists.”

Established for over 34 years, Terrapin is Australia’s premier contemporary puppet theatre creating world-class performances for young people and their families. The company tours nationally and internationally and over the past two years has performed across Australia, in Hong Kong, Canada and the USA.
Kevin O’Loghlin Terrapin Puppet Theatre